Grace full mama

When did discipline become a dirty word? I know, here I am, still on about discipline; but I have learned that it is the secret to freedom. Picture this. There are two buildings. Both are beautiful, big, spacious spaces. One building is labelled “Luxurious spa day,” and one is labelled “House of discipline.” Which one would be full to the brim and which one would struggle to keep the light bill paid? Which one would you go to?

The world is full of excuses and life hacks that are designed to be a counterfeit for discipline. Every week it seems there is a new supplement, pill, or shot designed to help people lose weight without any effort. We women chase beauty but hope it can be found in a bottle instead of a gym. We bury ourselves in chips and ice cream and then complain that our metabolism isn’t what it used to be. We want a microwave life. We want all the beauty, the long lean muscles, the connection with our spouse, the well behaved kids, but we don’t want to put in the work.

I love the way that our physical body shows us in tangible, visible metaphors what is going on in our spiritual self. If you want stronger, more flexible muscles, there is no substitute for working your muscles, causing them pain, stretching them out, and nourishing their healing. You melt them down, stretch them out, build them up, and they become better. It is a process you can easily see and feel. It’s harder emotionally and spiritually to see the process we all need so badly.

Emotionally and spiritually, we need to be doing just as much work! We take our thoughts captive, we tear down strongholds and every proud thing that exalts itself against our father in heaven! We learn how to allow the peace of God to overrule our amygdala (the fight or flight region of our brain). We surrender. We pray. We choose joy. We forgive. We lift the spiritual weights, filling our lamps with oil and trimming our wicks so that we are ready when Jesus returns for us.

How can we do this, practically?

Well, I am not going to lie to you. It’s not going to be easy. We train. “So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” 1 Corinthians 26-27a. Let me ask you, if you were training for a world class marathon, would you just train for a little bit in the morning and consider that you should be ready for your race soon? Would you do just enough to check off the box? Would you eat a half gallon of ice cream at night? No. Training would saturate every part of your life. You would be consumed by your need to train for your goal. You would not sabotage yourself.

Heaven is the goal. Freedom is the goal. Being a temple of God that is pure and alive with his spirit is the goal. Having a lamp that is filled with oil, filled to the brim, and having a bridegroom who knows us personally is the goal. It is the biggest goal that has ever been dreamed up, friends, and yet it is so easy to feel like we are training for this race with a quick 15 minute devotion before we continue on with “real life.”

We need to be consumed.

Every aspect of your life needs to be brought under  control. And what freedom comes with this discipline! Let me ask you, do you feel free in the wake of sin? When you pull that gooey spoon out of your pail of ice cream and you think of the way you just sabotaged your goal, does that feel like freedom? When you give into someone because you struggle with people pleasing, and you don’t stand firm for what you believe in, is it freedom that seizes your gut with the sensation of betraying yourself? When you watch that movie or scroll through social media and allow the feelings of envy and jealousy, are you free?

God is such an all or nothing God.

If you want a transformed life, you have to choose him all the time.

“Love the Lord with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.”Deuteronomy 6:5. We are told to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. We are asked to be watchful, to devote ourselves to prayer.

“Today, I have given you the choice between life and death, blessing and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:19

“then Jesus said to his disciples,’If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

What does this look like? Jesus has a different journey for all of us. But what I know, is that it isn’t simply a “do your little discipline and then relax and move on” kind of lifestyle. You are called to leave everything and follow him all the time. You are called to be thankful all the time. You are commanded to forgive all the time. So when there are thoughts that come as excuses, they need to be taken captive. Every part of your life should be curated for growth. You need to saturate yourself in him. You need to ruthlessly cut the things out of your life that destroy your discipline or your closeness with Jesus.

There is no room you can keep him out of in your soul. There is no root of bitterness that he understands and allows to remain in your soul. There is no person you are not called to forgive. Fear? Yes, you need to demolish that too. Counter it with scripture again and again and again.

Is this going to be hard? Yes. Leaving your own way, picking up your cross and following Jesus was never supposed to be easy. But there is some really, really good news. He will be with us. This… this all in, no holds barred saturated life is where his presence is. You trade the comforts and distractions of this world, and you get him in return.

When you go to the gym, you start out lifting lighter weights that feel soooo heavy. Your muscles spasm in pain and you wonder if all of this is really worth it; but then, if you keep at it, the weights start to feel lighter. Your muscles start to crave the work. You recover faster. You get stronger. It is exactly like that with our spiritual life. At first it is hard, taking thoughts captive and gutting the rooms in our hearts that we have been pretending aren’t there. Taking down strongholds is not for the weak. Keep at it. All of the sudden, you will see the changes in yourself. You’ll hear his voice more clearly. You’ll get stronger. There is nothing more worth it. THIS IS FREEDOM!

There are no excuses. There can be no idols. We are running a race, and we are supposed to run it to win! Train like your life depends on it… because it does.